Daniel Rowland, Consensus Vocalis, Stift Festival Orchestra - Distant Light (2020) [Hi-Res]

This recording offers an overview of four of Peteris Vasks' most iconic works, from the large scale, dramatic Violin Concerto ‘Distant light’, and the magically dreamy meditation Lonely Angel, to his evocation of Latvian landscape and birdsong Plainscapes and the extatic Dona Nobis Pacem. The first piece by Peteris Vasks that the performer of this album (Daniel Rowland) heard, about a decade ago, was his magnificent Violin Concerto ‘Distant light’, already a modern classic, and Rowland was blown away by the deep emotional impact of this extraordinary music, that seemed to him both wonderfully mysterious, connected to ancient times, touched by a sublime spirituality and at the same time viscerally exciting and with moments of stunning virtuosity.

In 2019, when Peteris accepted the invitation to come to the 15th edition of my Rowland's Stiftfestival in Holland as "Composer in Residence" he was truly excited at the chance to work closely with him on several of his pieces. At the festival we performed many of Peteris’ works, solo, chamber and orchestral, with wonderful artists. The week culminated with the concert that you now hold in your hands, in the splendid, deeply atmospheric and acoustically wonderful 15th century Plechelmus Basiliek in Oldenzaal.